Reunion 2 Rise of the Quarrymen
by Turkish1
Summary: The former Wyvern Clan must learn team work if they hope to rescue Goliat.


The changes over the last ten years…

Angela: lives with Broadway in a house in Glendale Ca and had some kids along with a minor career in TV and movies.

Broadway: became a Hollywood producer and lost some weight, though achieving those dreams seems to have dampened his sense of humor.

Brooklyn: left the clan and became the reclusive hero known as 'The Crimson Wing' and has been out of contact with the clan for nearly ten years.

David: not David Xanatos but a computer programmer from Vadnais Heights Mn and Lexington's boyfriend.

David Xanatos: went on vacation a few years ago and hasn't been heard from since, Owen, Fox and Alexander are secretive and seem unconcerned.

Goliath: went missing a few weeks ago during the crime wave that has gripped NYC; an easy guess is that the new Quarrymen Disciples are involved. The former Wyvern clan has gathered in order to find him.

Terrence Delovely: psychopathic Quarrymen lieutenant who took a couple of guys out to hijack a bus… and got considerably shorter when Broadway stepped on his head.

Reunion 2 -Rise of the Quarrymen

The shadowy figure stood before them, a pile of dead Quarrymen Enforcers at his feet. He opened his helmet to reveal the smirking crimson red face of Brooklyn.

"Thank you," Elisa said. "But our Goliath is in another castle."

Brooklyn's teasing smirk turned into a more honest smile, "pretty funny," he said. "Come on, there are sure to be more of these fucktards on the way; so lets go."

"No," Angela said as she bent over some of the dead Quarrymen. "One of them might be alive and know where Goliath is."

"None of them are alive," Brooklyn replied. "I don't miss."

Angela shot him a scathing glare as she turned over the heavily armed humans to check their pulse. "Fine," she muttered. "We are supposed to protect this city, and as protectors we do not just leave people to rot on the street!"

The Gargoyles heard the squeal of tires from the near distance, possibly signaling more Enforces on the way; Elisa stepped up and put her hand on Angela's shoulder.

"We need to go," Elisa said gently. "I appreciate your sentiment, but if the Quarrymen catch us here…"

"I understand," Angela replied while standing severely and looking at Brooklyn. "Maybe you need to cool your bloodlust."

"Excuse me for saving your life," Brooklyn cried.

"Enough!" Elisa cried. "Let's stop arguing and get home!"

****** The attitude was somber when they returned to Castle Wyvern, though the mission to save the bus load of innocent people was a success, the mission still turned into a blood bath that left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

"I think we are all tired," Elisa said when they gathered outside Wyvern's theater room. "Lets all get eight hours of sleep and start our search again this evening."

"I understand that Goliath has been missing for a while and so we should take our time," Angela replied. "But we cant just sit and relax!"

"I disagree," Brooklyn said. "You four think you can take on these new Quarrymen? If I hadn't come along they would be mounting your hides on their clubhouse wall."

A collection of grumbling annoyed growls were issued from the rest of the Gargoyles.

"At least we haven't been hiding in Canada for the last ten years," Broadway muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Brooklyn replied sarcastically. "I kept fighting crime and protecting the public. The rest of you were the ones hiding in your pretentious new lives."

"Killing every one of our enemies is not protecting the people!" Angela shouted.

"Guys!" Elisa cried, ending the argument. "I'm getting annoyed at your childish fighting, but Brooklyn has a point… in a way. We were rusty out there, so if you're not too tired I think we should log a few hours of training before getting some rack."

"Sounds like a great idea," Angela muttered and turned toward Xanatos's new and improved training center.

"Bowflex muscles engage," Lexington cried happily as he followed the others.

The 'new' training room really was not that much different than the old one except it now sported a smooth dome top and a cutting edge holographic projector.

"Oh cool!" Lexington cried as he went to the projector. "I heard Sony was working with Xanatos Enterprises to build a realistic holographic projector for public consumption. Last reported the project was scrapped on the basis that it would be too expensive to make a profit!"

"Lexington," Elisa called to him. "Focus. We can try the projector tomorrow."

Lexington did not lose his cheerful veneer when he returned to the others.

"Alright," Angela said to Brooklyn. "Obviously you've picked up a few new tricks over the last decade, care to share with the class?"

Brooklyn smiled, "I thought you would never ask." He took off his helmet, which appeared to be a simple elongated motorcycle helmet. "Kids these days put down their Wii remotes and pick up machineguns to slaughter their perceived bullies and half of their school, so we cant expect to successfully take criminals with our fists and bare skin anymore."

Broadway rolled his eyes.

"My torso is protected by Mark 8 body armor, which is not the best but will at least stop a 9mm round," Brooklyn continued. "The helmet is reinforced with polished steel to help deflect most particle beams and other rounds. It has also been hooked up with simple radar, thermal imaging, and a police scanner. The blades I use are actually very simple, if you can believe this; they are made of hardened sugar."

"Come on… your knives are rock candy," Broadway asked.

"If I have to throw one and cant retrieve it, the blade will actually melt with moisture and warm temperatures. Leaving the police and my enemies nothing to collect in order to prove my existence," Brooklyn added proudly.

"So no one can trace your murders back to you," Angela said.

"I've seen you kill before," Brooklyn snapped back. "So don't lecture me, princess."

"I've only killed when I was forced," Angela muttered. "And I was never proud of it."

"Let's focus," Elisa said. "I saw that you learned a new fighting style, why don't you teach us a few moves."

"I've studied various forms of martial arts to create my own discipline," Brooklyn said while getting into a fighting stance. "If you want to learn, then come on! I'll teach you."

"I mean demonstrate…" Elisa began, but before she could say those words Angela charged him.

Angela immediately tried to take Brooklyn out with a very aggressive claw swipe. Brooklyn easily side stepped the attack and took her hand to knock her off balance, he looped his arm around her neck, effectively neutralizing her.

"You guys really are rusty," Brooklyn smirked with Angela ensnared in his arms.

"Leave her alone!" Broadway roared while grabbing eighty pound weights and throwing them. The weights came very close to hitting Brooklyn in the head, but narrowly missed. The weights smashed through a mirrored wall, making a huge hole and a shattered mess of glass.

Brooklyn pushed Angela aside as he and Broadway roared and postured at each other, meaning to fight for real.

"Stop it!" Elisa screamed over and over until she finally got the combatants attention.

Very uncomfortable silence followed as everyone in the room realized that everything had just gotten way out of control.

"There is a lot that has been left unsaid between us," Elisa said in her best controlled voice now that she had their attention. "But I invited you all back to Manhattan to help me find Goliath, my husband and our leader. If you cant keep from killing each other for a few days then all of you need to get the fuck out and I'll find Goliath myself!"

With that Elisa stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her; the Gargoyles were left in unhappy silence.

"I-I'm sorry," Angela said to Brooklyn. "I lost control."

Brooklyn did not reply, instead he followed Elisa out of the room.

Lexington sighed, "I never thought we would be here, at each other's throats, hating each other."

"Let's get some sleep," Broadway replied. "We'll feel better in the morning.

Sally rides again.

Instead of heading to a room for rest like the Gargoyles had, Elisa instead slipped into another existence.

Elisa had long grown used to living dual lives, she had a natural talent for it. Lately, with the rise of the Quarrymen Disciples, she had been 'Sally' more and more often… the lines between fantasy and reality were starting to blur.

Elisa put on a blond wig, a padded jacket that advertised the NY Giants, a little makeup to pale her skin, and a skin prosthetic to simulate a scar on her forearm typical to Skarr abuse. She pulled out in a run down old Chevy Celebrity from a city garage, and she was now her other persona: Sally Richardson, a known Quarryman Associate.

In that shitty tub of a car Sally traveled to scene of the battle the night before. The burnt out husk of the bus was still there, now being attended to by police, paramedics, and firefighters as it was a little safer in this neighborhood during the day. However, the dead Enforcers and their destroyed truck were already gone, whisked away by the Quarrymen during the night.

Sally moved on, she was here to gain information.

A few streets over she found another who was living a double life, an undercover ATF Agent known as Huff'n Puff.

Huff'n Puff stood at his normal corner at the Kum 'n Go, shirt open to reveal his pale and shrunken body. He held a huge Big Gulp and was checking the pay phones for change.

"Huff'n Puff!" Elisa cried out to him, making him jump.

"Hey bitch!" He cried as he rushed over to the car, still playing a roll. "I've got all sorts of Skarr to make your panties wet! Cheap as shit, too!" He cried as he leaned into the car's open window. As soon as he was out of earshot of the others in the area the act was over; Huff'n Puff was deep undercover to spy on the Quarrymen but Elisa knew she could not trust him.

"Hell of a party your NYPD threw last night," Huff'n Puff muttered. "An entire squad of Enforcers massacred! Its nice to see the city police grow some balls but the gang leaders are shitting their pants! The NYPD seriously crossed the line!"

"No," Elisa countered. "It was the Quarrymen who crossed the line by leaving their neighborhoods and taking a bus load of innocent people!"

Huff'n Puff laughed, "there is no way you are this stupid. It is no longer the NYPD that tolerates the Quarrymen Disciples but the other way around. Terrence Delovely was a fucking psychopath, and he did cross the line when he took that bus. But slaughtering Enforcers was not the right response, now you've managed to piss them off!"

Elisa shook her head in disgust.

"The Quarrymen are scared, they think the police have a new weapon. In two weeks they are going to meet and talk about reforming the gangs into a single operation like it was in the nineties. Then, they will talk about declaring war on the police. If you think shit's bad now, just wait until the Quarrymen are under a single effective leader sending out their soldiers to kill police."

"Where will this 'summit' of gang leaders be and when," Elisa asked.

Huff'n Puff laughed and looked around, "the term 'begging for death' is thrown around so lightly these days…"

"You are a fucking police officer," Elisa scolded. "NYPD has finally shown some balls, now it's the ATF's turn."

"Please," Huff'n Puff laughed. "You think 'they' don't know I have been passing information to the police? The Quarrymen tolerate what I do because I take information back to them. If you want to know where the Summit is going to be you are going to have to tell me what new weapon the police have been employing."

Elisa was silent for a long time, she had warned the Gargoyles that even she was not trustworthy and now she was about to prove why.

"The police do not have a new weapon," Elisa said. "The police are still in the Quarrymen's pocket. The Gargoyles have returned to New York and are pissed off over what the Quarrymen have been doing to their city since they left."

"You expect me to believe that," Huff'n Puff cried, but the fear was evident in his face. "The Gargoyles are safe in their new little lives and don't give a shit about New York. I read the Tattler Issue."

"Believe it," Elisa answered. "They're pissed as fuck and they are going to slaughter every Quarrymen they find."

Huff'n Puff nodded, "then god help us all. Do you know about the Rape Magic concert?"

"The NYPD is well aware of that psychotic band," Elisa answered.

"Every single Quarrymen Disciple gang leader in the country will be meeting in the basement under the club in which Rape Magic is performing," Huff'n Puff said. "My advice: leave the Gargoyles out of it and blow that club up with a Nuke and make sure none of them survive."

It was sort of like old times when the sun set at the castle, though it was not the same situation. No longer did the Gargoyles smash from their stone sleep, instead they awoke from comfortable beds made up in rooms thanks to the spell cast ten years ago.

From there they went to the parapets of the ancient castle to watch the sun dip below the horizon, and for the lights of the hazardous city to flicker on. From there they attended another ritual of their former lives, the trip to the cafeteria for breakfast.

If there was another way to gauge just how much their lives had changed since they had lived in the castle, it was the cafeteria.

The addition for the cafeteria had been set low in the castle to accommodate the Gargoyles after they had moved back permanently (after Hunter's Moon)… more or less; as well as to serve the workers within or near the castle in the office building below.

In their earlier years, during the late nineties, the cafeteria had been a very cheerful place for the Gargoyles, in many ways the center of their night to night lives. On nights without patrols or other things to do many long hours were spent here. Over time the Gargoyles got to know all the humans who also frequented, including the head chef who became a good friend to Broadway and the clan; in fact, Broadway worked for him at the cafeteria for a short time before he went to Hollywood.

That era had come to an end…

Broadway moved out, then the disastrous mission had shattered the rest of the clan's cohesion and they too left. With the Gargoyles gone the cafeteria was closed and all the workers were long gone to new lunch spots or new jobs entirely. In their place automated servers provided the food items meant for breakfast and canned Muzak played over the speakers.

They sat at a booth, the cafeteria had a dusty/musty smell and Fox News played in muted silence on a flat screen at the far wall. Both Broadway and Lexington worked at their cell phones and Angela looked around, noticing that Brooklyn was not there.

"Don't you remember all the good times we had here," Angela asked.

Broadway glanced up sharply, but said nothing.

"Oh, yeah!" Lexington cried. "We used to come here before nights of marathon video games and movies, before hitting the town to hang with friends, sneak into movies and concerts." He laughed! "Dressing in disguises and sneaking into restaurants and…"

"Those were the rare nights when Goliath wasn't making us run double patrols, when someone or something wasn't trying to kill us," Broadway muttered. "When we weren't addressing congress for some cause to make us free or some other crap like that…"

Lexington gave him annoyed look, "I remember you being a lot more fun back then."

"Yeah," Angela cried. "When did you become such a sour puss?"

The lighthearted ribbing did noting to improve Broadway's mood, instead of responding he bent over his cell phone 'Droid' again. He was still trying to address the daily problems coming from his newest movie project via text message and it appeared as if everything was not going as planned.

Just then Brooklyn entered and sat at an adjacent table, he was slightly pale and bruised.

"What," Brooklyn demanded when he noticed Angela eying him.

"Did you sleep at all today," Angela asked.

"Hey! We're here to find Goliath," Brooklyn shot back. "I was trying to find him!"

"Fine, relax," Angela said, she wanted to find her father but knew Elisa was right about taking the time to do it right.

"Hey guys," Elisa entered the cafeteria, she went and picked up an apple from behind the sneeze guard. "Just like old times, huh?"

The rest of the clan did not reply, it was early in the evening but their moral was already low.

Elisa took a bite from the apple, "I was wondering, if you guys weren't busy, if you could help me with something."

"Better than reminiscing," Broadway stood from the booth.

"I guess breakfast is over," Angela said as the rest followed Elisa.

Elisa led them to Xanatos's new and improved training room, at the very center of the new ceiling dome a golden ticket now hung.

"I seem to have left my, uh, golden ticket on the roof," Elisa smiled. "I was wondering if you, with your superior Gargoyle abilities, could get it down for me."

"Lost your golden ticket, huh," Brooklyn asked Elisa, she shrugged playfully.

"Out of the way, lightweights," Broadway pushed through them. "Nice 'icebreaker activity' Elisa. We do this kind of stuff all the time in my biz."

"Thanks," Elisa replied as Broadway leaped, trying to sink his claws into the dome. His claws simply slipped along its polished surface and the once big Gargoyle crashed on the gym pads below.

"Pretty typical," Brooklyn said as he attempted a somersaulting leap to grab the ticket, but was just too short.

Angela tried to hook the ticket down with a long bar, but that was not working.

All along, Elisa stood back and watched in silence.

"This isn't working," Angela said, as the rest of the bruised clan walked up to her. "We will have to do something different…"

"To do what," Broadway demanded. "This ticket isn't worth anything! Its just flagging wired to the ceiling and useless!"

"Angela's right," Brooklyn said. "Did your jolly mood melt with your blubber, baby Huey?"

"Fuck you!" Broadway cried.

"Wow, a real emotion," Brooklyn chided. "I thought you put those in a storage garage before you left for California."

Angela helplessly looked to Elisa, but the human leaned against the wall and would not offer aid.

"…at least I'm not a murderer," Broadway said.

"Guys!" Angela cried, getting their attention. "If we hope to get Goliath back, then we have to stand together as a team, like we used to! And stop fighting each other!"

"Maybe getting Goliath back isn't what's best for said team," Brooklyn said.

Angela had to sort her emotions, place the rage at what Brooklyn had just said on the back burner and focus on the goals at hand. "Then that's a decision we have to make as individuals. If you do not want to help Goliath then step out now."

"So you can hate me forever," Brooklyn shot. "So you can keep blaming me for what went wrong?"

"I would hate you more if you came along halfheartedly and failed when I needed you the most," Angela said. "Decision time, Brooklyn."

Brooklyn was silent for a moment, "aright, I'm in."

"Why do you hate Goliath," Broadway asked. "He is our clan leader!"

"That's not important right now," Angela interrupted. "Brooklyn, you are still our second in command, you are in charge now. So, how do we reach that ticket?"

Brooklyn stood back in silence for a moment to study the situation, "I know what to do."

Elisa watched as the Gargoyles formed a living pyramid, climbing on each other's backs so Lexington could get the ticket; Elisa smiled.

Broadway took the golden ticket as he stood before Elisa, he smiled ironically as he read what was on the goldenrod: "teamwork is the golden ticket."

"It is our first and last step, the foundation of which we will build on," Elisa said. "Now that you are ready, I'm ready to brief you on your next mission; but only if you accept it. In two weeks the Quarrymen gang leaders will be meeting within the city and we will have our best chance at destroying their organization and rescuing Goliath."

Meanwhile, in the dangerous side of town….

"…and that's it," Huff'n Puff said as he sat in a darkened room.

A figure moved in the darkness, he was one of many, "so, Sally Richardson is an undercover police officer and contacted you in order to learn who had lead the raid on the city bus?"

"Y-yeah," Huff'n Puff replied. "Can I go now."

The dark form was a Quarrymen Disciple Gang leader, he took out a vial of a purple substance so Huff'n Puff could see it, the ATF Agent's eyes grew.

"What else did the police woman want? Tell the whole truth and you will get this vial of Skarr for free."

Huff'n Puff had a deep scar on his right forearm and it ached for the substance in the vial.

"She wanted to know where the summit will be located and when," Huff'n Puff said.

"Did you tell her?"

"Yes."

"What else?"

"The police do not have a new weapon, the Gargoyles have returned to town. They were the ones who killed Delovely and destroyed the squad of Enforcers," Huff'n Puff said.

"Alright, Huff'n Puff," the leader tossed him the vial. "Go back to your street corner and wait for further orders."

"The Gargoyles have returned," the leader said once Huff'n Puff was gone.

"And they know about the Summit," another said. "Should we call the other Leaders and warn them?"

"No," the leader said. "No, this is perfect. Now we know where the Gargoyles will be and how to destroy them. Call the Ultrapack and get them ready, they have a hot date in two weeks. Funny that it will be us who will destroy the Gargoyles though our organization has changed so much."


End file.
